Sandro Dethrones Kanehara in 38 Seconds at SRC 13

Quickly emerging as one of the sport’s most devastating finishers,
Sandro knocked out Masanori
Kanehara with a right uppercut 38 seconds into the opening
round to capture the Sengoku featherweight championship at Sengoku
Raiden Championships 13 on Sunday at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in
Tokyo.

Sandro has posted 38-, nine- and 19-second victories in his last
five appearances. A training partner of World Extreme Cagefighting
featherweight king Jose Aldo, the
33-year-old Nova Uniao standout has delivered three consecutive
wins since his controversial “must” decision to Michihiro
Omigawa in the 2009 Sengoku featherweight grand prix
semifinals.

Kanehara ate a straight right and the finishing uppercut from
Sandro. He had to be carried from the cage on a stretcher and had
not yet regained full consciousness. Sandro, who also holds the
featherweight King of Pancrase crown, was reduced to tears in wake
of his latest conquest.

“This is my childhood dream to win this belt,” Sandro said. “Thanks
for supporting me. Jose Aldo, you
are number one, but I’m also number one, too. I have two
belts.”

At an event filled with finishes, lightweight King of Pancrase
Maximo
Blanco made sure to get in on the act, as he stopped
Strikeforce veteran Rodrigo
Damm on second-round strikes. Damm met his demise 45 seconds
into round two. A flurry from Blanco put Damm on all fours, and
follow-up blows forced an intervention from the referee.

Finally, light heavyweight King of Pancrase Ryo
Kawamura dispatched Hidetada
Irie on punches 3:00 into the second round. The 28-year-old
Kawamura has posted three wins in four fights since his unanimous
decision defeat to current Strikeforce champion Muhammad “King Mo”
Lawal in March 2009.